Israeli autonomous-vehicle firm to open at Tech Garden

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Blue White Robotics expects to create up to 30 jobs in next five years SYRACUSE — An Israeli autonomous-vehicle company plans to establish a command and control center at the Tech Garden and create up to 30 jobs in the next five years. With assistance from New York State and through private […]

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Blue White Robotics expects to create up to 30 jobs in next five years

SYRACUSE — An Israeli autonomous-vehicle company plans to establish a command and control center at the Tech Garden and create up to 30 jobs in the next five years.

With assistance from New York State and through private investments, Blue White Robotics of Tel Aviv, Israel is developing its “robots as a service” platform and plans to station an operations, marketing and sales team at the Tech Garden, the office of Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Oct. 6.

Blue White Robotics currently has one employee locally who is working remotely because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Elle Hanna, director of communications and media relations, tells CNYBJ.

The total project cost has been placed at a little over $4 million. Blue White Robotics has also recently secured $10 million in its first major round of venture-capital funding, which will be used to further support the growth of its U.S. operations.

The company last spring announced interest in expanding its presence in New York State by partnering with local companies to service the state’s agriculture, transportation, and first-responder markets. Empire State Development is helping Blue White Robotics with up to $300,000 through the Excelsior Job Creation program and CenterState CEO is providing $1 million in UAS Jobs Funds assistance.

UAS is short for unmanned aircraft system, which is more commonly referred to as a drone.

Blue White Robotics specializes in autonomous products for agriculture, public transportation, energy, mining, and first responders. The company’s customers include private companies, government organizations, and research institutions around the world.

The firm is also assisting Easy Aerial from Brooklyn — a company that designs and manufactures autonomwous drones and ground control systems — and Dropcopter from Syracuse, which develops aerial pollination capabilities, “as part of the solution to the global bee crisis” in partnership with Cornell University, Cuomo’s office said.

“I would like to thank Gov. Cuomo for his support and vision for autonomous systems; and to extend our gratitude to everyone at Empire State Development for the warm welcome we have received. Together, we will share our values of fellowship, love of the land, and innovation!” Ben Alfi, CEO of Blue White Robotics, said in a statement.

Blue White Robotics officials joined Cuomo’s UAS industry delegation in Israel during its July 2019 visit. Attended by top companies, academic institutions, and technology startups from both counties, the summit was focused on promoting commerce and collaboration between New York and Israel for drone, health, and infrastructure technologies. ν

Ithaca real-estate agency adds Corning office, nine agents through acquisition

Construction, Design & Real Estate, Regional News, Small Business, Subscriber Only

CORNING, N.Y. — Ithaca–based Warren Real Estate says it’s now operating a seventh office in the Southern Tier following its acquisition of Coldwell Banker Horizons Realty in Corning. The company didn’t disclose any financial details of its acquisition agreement. Warren Real Estate describes itself as “one of the largest locally owned real-estate companies in Central

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DiCastro keeps Rome alive at Brick Oven Restaurant

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ROME, N.Y. — Jim DiCastro says he has seen it all in his 40 years of driving up and down the East Coast as an excavating contractor. “I’ve been everywhere; it’s hard to name all the cities,” DiCastro says with a chuckle. As he weaved in and out of states, the one thing he noticed

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ROME, N.Y. — Jim DiCastro says he has seen it all in his 40 years of driving up and down the East Coast as an excavating contractor.

“I’ve been everywhere; it’s hard to name all the cities,” DiCastro says with a chuckle.

As he weaved in and out of states, the one thing he noticed lacking were restaurants with a wood-fired pizza oven.

But with no wood-fire pizza restaurants in his home area or surrounding areas, he decided to start his own eatery, DiCastro’s Brick Oven Restaurant in 2010.

Born and raised in Rome, N.Y., DiCastro coincidentally also has family in Rome, Italy. He says his family and their traditions of cooking were always important to him.

“I remember watching my grandmother use the old crank machine to make pasta,” says DiCastro. He remembers last visiting Rome, Italy when he was probably 13 or 14 years old.

Now, DiCastro makes 18 different kinds of pasta and makes his own salad dressings at his restaurant. DiCastro’s Brick Oven Restaurant also features a gluten-free menu that has six different kinds of gluten-free pasta. DiCastro’s signature item is its Neapolitan-style pizza that cooks at an even 600 degrees and is ready in under three minutes.

“It’s about family legacy,” DiCastro says of the restaurant and its menu.

In 1912, DiCastro’s grandfather immigrated from Rome, Italy to the United States. DiCastro says his grandfather began working on the railroads before opening a small business and eventually opening up a popular nightclub, DiCastro’s at Sylvan Beach.

“If you talk to anyone who was a teenager during the 40s, 50s, and into the 60s and asked them where they went, they would say DiCastro’s at Sylvan Beach,” the restaurant owner says. “It was a huge nightclub for the younger generation. They used to dance and do swing, jitterbug,” says DiCastro.

Entrepreneurship runs in the family. He says that everyone in his family has eventually started a business of their own and that it’s sort of a “family passion”.

With a warm, rustic, comfortable Roman vibe, DiCastro’s Brick Oven Restaurant occupies about 1,500 square feet at 615 Erie Blvd. West in Rome. Recently, the restaurant was named “Member of the Week” by the Rome Area Chamber of Commerce.

DiCastro has been running the restaurant with his wife, Lisa DiCastro, since November 2010. He says he saw the vacant property for 10 years before deciding to purchase and transform it into a restaurant; it took one year for renovations to be complete.

With a wide array of pastas and homemade salad dressings, DiCastro says seeing customers’ reactions is what keeps him motivated.

“The satisfaction of people commenting on how good the food is or trying something they’ve never had is always amazing,” says DiCastro.

He says that a fan favorite is the homemade lasagna, and it’s one of his personal favorites, too.

DiCastro says that he gets all of his ingredients locally produced and his flour from Italy.

“They’re the heart of pasta, so why not get the basics from there?,” says DiCastro.

Despite being open two fewer days of the week and facing COVID-19 restrictions, business has been bouncing back at the restaurant, which employs 13 people, says DiCastro.

For 10 weeks, the business had to completely shut down and furlough all employees. Despite the hardship, DiCastro says the quarantine time allowed him to update and change machinery. He has been able to rehire a lot of his previous staff, while some went on to college.

Before the pandemic, DiCastro’s Brick Oven Restaurant was open seven days a week from 11 a.m. – 9 p.m., but now is open Thursday through Monday, from

4-9 p.m., while being closed on Tuesday and Wednesday.

“Your gross revenue at the end of the week is definitely off [from where] it was before,” says DiCastro, “but the profit is probably the same if I looked at per hour of opening.”

DiCastro says that he has seen an increase in takeout orders and adds that outdoor seating has helped attract business while complying with state restrictions.

Despite the new way of life that everyone is getting used to, DiCastro says he is happy to be open and serving pasta and pizza.

Syracuse one-bedroom apartment rent prices fall nearly 4 percent in September compared to August

Construction, Design & Real Estate, Subscriber Only

The median rental price for most apartments in the Syracuse metro area fell almost 4 percent in September compared to August, and the price was down more than 14 percent from the year-ago month. That’s according to the October 2020 national rent report from Zumper, an apartment-rental listings website. The median rental price of one-bedroom

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WellNow Urgent Care opens second Camillus location

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CAMILLUS, N.Y. — WellNow Urgent Care on Sept. 30 opened the doors to its newest urgent-care center at 3800 W. Genesee St. in the town of Camillus. The new location is just a half mile up the road from another WellNow clinic at 3504 W. Genesee St. in Camillus. The company calls that its Fairmount

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CAMILLUS, N.Y. — WellNow Urgent Care on Sept. 30 opened the doors to its newest urgent-care center at 3800 W. Genesee St. in the town of Camillus.

The new location is just a half mile up the road from another WellNow clinic at 3504 W. Genesee St. in Camillus. The company calls that its Fairmount center.

When asked if WellNow was seeing enough demand for urgent-care service in that area to warrant a second location, the company replied in an email, “Knowing we are providing another safe, reliable place for the community to easily get COVID-19 testing is reason enough to open our center in Camillus. And we hope it will allow us to provide even greater support to the community as we bring rapid testing the greater western suburbs in the coming weeks.”

WellNow Urgent Care describes itself as “one of the country’s fastest-growing urgent-care providers.”

The new Camillus facility offers treatment for non-life-threatening injuries and illnesses seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. “with no appointment needed.”

The urgent-care center will also offer molecular (PCR) and blood antibody serology COVID-19 testing without the need for a referral or prescription.

“We’re proud to open our newest Camillus center and provide easier urgent-care access to those in the Syracuse area,” Dr. John Radford, president of WellNow Urgent Care, said in a statement. “This new location marks the next step in our long-standing commitment to communities in and around Central New York.”

The new 3,500-square-foot center provides “timely” service for ailments such as sprains, burns, colds, and allergies, while also providing on-site X-rays, lab testing and physicals. Patients are treated on a walk-in basis but may also visit WellNow.com to check-in online or view up-to-date wait times.

Individuals can also connect with a WellNow provider 24 hours a day, seven days a week using the company’s telehealth platform, the company noted.

WellNow Urgent Care also offers Central New York employers occupational-medicine services, including DOT/19A physicals and workers’-compensation assistance with respirator-fit exams and audiometry.

WellNow currently operates more than 40 locations across New York and Illinois, including local offices in Cicero, DeWitt, Fayetteville, and Clay, in addition to the two Camillus locations.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com

Halbritter says Oneida Nation casinos have seen “decent response” since reopening

Regional News, Sports, Entertainment & Tourism, Subscriber Only

VERONA, N.Y. — The Oneida Indian Nation’s leader says patrons have returned in modest numbers to its casinos since reopening in June as the organization continues pandemic protocols to prevent spread of the coronavirus. Ray Halbritter, Oneida Indian Nation representative and Nation Enterprises CEO, also contends the organization has a role as an “economic engine”

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Ray Halbritter, Oneida Indian Nation representative and Nation Enterprises CEO, also contends the organization has a role as an “economic engine” in Central New York to keep its gaming facilities moving forward, noting that the Oneida Nation has invested millions in the region in recent years.

Operations in 2020

The Oneida Nation operates Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, Point Place Casino in the Bridgeport area of the town of Sullivan in Madison County, and Yellow Brick Road (YBR) Casino in Chittenango.

The facilities reopened June 10 after being shut down since March 16 to combat the spread of COVID-19.

“We’ve seen a decent response to our openings. I can’t tell you it’s overwhelming … but it’s allowed us to do reasonably well in our operations,” says Halbritter, who spoke with CNYBJ on Oct. 2.

The Oneida Indian Nation in May announced it had developed a reopening health and safety plan titled “Safer Together,” which adopts the “best practices” from gaming and hospitality venues throughout the world.

The Oneida Nation won’t offer concerts or shows in the showroom or event center until mass gatherings are permitted “without undue risk.”

The organization is also requiring face coverings for employees, guests, vendors, and the public — “wherever feasible” throughout our facilities.

It’s also requiring gloves for all employees who are working in direct contact with guests, including in all restaurants, at registration desks and on the gaming floors.

CNYBJ asked Halbritter what went through his mind in mid-March when it became apparent that the region would be dealing with the coronavirus pandemic.

“It was something that was, at first, hard to believe that we were facing an issue that could potentially close our businesses, which we just never would’ve imagined,” says Halbritter.

Health and safety of employees, customers, and patrons “drove all of our decision making … that was what we had to take care of,” he adds.

Before announcing plans to temporarily close its casinos, the Oneida Nation announced that all full-time employees of its assortment of enterprises would get two additional weeks of coronavirus-related paid time off “to help them deal with the unprecedented disruption.”

When asked what the Oneida Indian Nation is projecting for revenue generation during this pandemic-affected year, Halbritter notes that its operations were closed down for a quarter of the year and that the Oneida Nation was “impacted like everyone was impacted.”

“I’m not in a position to discuss any kind of numbers, but we’re doing our best and we’re thankful that we’re open and we’re going to continue to be open as long as circumstances allow us to keep the safety of the general public and our employees intact,” he added.

Recent capital projects

Over the last seven years, the Oneida Indian Nation has been active in development projects in Central New York. The activity has included capital projects totaling more than $325 million and creating more than 1,500 jobs, along with investing more than $1.1 billion in New York vendors, per an Oneida Indian Nation document detailing its activity.

The Hayner Hoyt Corporation of Syracuse handled all these capital projects, according to Halbritter.

The projects include the 2013 development of Exit 33 at Turning Stone, an entertainment and nightlife complex with several themed restaurants and cocktail lounges.

The construction of YBR Casino & Sports Book in Chittenango is a project that spanned both 2014 and 2015. It was aimed at “revitalizing” an underdeveloped shopping plaza, the Oneida Nation contends. YBR is short for Yellow Brick Road, named to coincide with Chittenango’s connection to the movie “The Wizard of Oz” as the birthplace of story author L. Frank Baum.

A few years later, the Oneida Nation announced the building of Point Place Casino in Bridgeport area of Sullivan along with the construction of three Maple Leaf Markets in Sherrill, Chittenango, and Sylvan Beach. Those projects occurred between 2017 and 2018.

When asked what prompted the Point Place Casino project, Halbritter says, “It was to bring gaming opportunity a little closer to a demographic up in that region. We took a look at the demographics and we thought that would be an opportunity for us that we thought was worthy of our investment.”

The projects also included Commons at Turning Stone in 2018, featuring four new boutiques with contemporary men’s and women’s apparel and jewelry.

In 2019, the Oneida Indian Nation also announced the 19,400-square-foot expansion at YBR Casino & Sports Book to include the Lanes, a six-lane luxury bowling center and Topgolf Swing Suite.

The Oneida Nation’s most-recent projects included construction of the Lake House at Sylvan Beach, its newest gaming and dining venue, which opened in July.

When asked about how the Oneida Indian Nation financed those projects, Halbritter said the organization has borrowed to help finance its projects with a “coalition” of lenders, although he wouldn’t name any specific bank that has been a lender.

“It works really well. It’s such a great relationship. The financial institutions do well. We do well,” he notes.

As for any significant projects that the Oneida Nation might be considering, Halbritter would only say, “We always have something in discussion, but it’s too early to discuss publicly.”

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com

Onondaga County receives $7M sales tax payment; 2020 budget deficit is more than $22M

Employee Benefits & Human Resources, Law, Accounting & Taxes, Nonprofits

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Onondaga County on Thursday received a sales-tax payment of more than $7 million, leaving the sales-tax deficit in the county’s 2020 budget

Apex Entertainment reopens for bowling, laser tag at Destiny USA

Sports, Entertainment & Tourism, Subscriber Only

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Apex Entertainment reopened at Destiny USA on Wednesday, Oct. 7 with 24 bowling lanes, laser tag, bumper cars, hologate and x-rider (virtual reality), along with a restaurant menu in its Pit Stop Tavern. However, its arcade remains closed under New York State guidelines, Destiny USA said in a news release announcing the

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Syracuse airport to temporarily relocate rental-car operators

Construction, Design & Real Estate, Nonprofits, Regional News, Sports, Entertainment & Tourism

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The Syracuse Regional Airport Authority (SRAA) on Thursday announced that all rental-car operations at Syracuse Hancock International Airport (SYR) will be temporarily

TCGplayer plans more hiring in year ahead; adds Seamless co-founder to company board

Sports, Entertainment & Tourism, Subscriber Only

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — TCGplayer, an online technology platform for the collectibles industry, says plans to expand into new collectible lines of business and will hire more than 100 new full-time employees over the next year. “Over the next 12 months, TCGplayer anticipates expanding beyond hobby gaming collectibles to areas like sports cards, board games, comic

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“Over the next 12 months, TCGplayer anticipates expanding beyond hobby gaming collectibles to areas like sports cards, board games, comic books, and role-playing games,” Chedy Hampson, founder and CEO of TCGplayer, tells CNYBJ.

TCGplayer is headquartered at 440 S. Warren St. in downtown Syracuse.

Besides its hiring plans, TCGplayer also announced that it has appointed Paul Appelbaum, a founder and former president of GrubHub Seamless, to the company’s board of directors.

Seamless, a food-delivery service, is part of the GrubHub portfolio of brands.

Following the firm’s plans for hiring, TCGplayer will employ about 350 people across the U.S., with a majority located at the firm’s headquarters.

The company is already recruiting for about 50 of these roles, which includes its first-ever chief marketing officer, per a Sept. 14 company news release.

Appelbaum is an experienced operator, investor, and advisor, and currently serves as a principal of Rock Ventures LLC, an early-stage investment firm focused on marketplaces and foodtech. He’s also a director of Slice, a technology platform “powering local pizzerias’ transformation for the digital age.”

“We are rapidly growing and excited to add talented people across our organization, with a focus on roles in engineering, marketing and fulfillment support,” Hampson says. “Having built the most dynamic and compelling marketplace for collectible card games in the U.S., we are excited to bring our innovative technologies and customer-focused approach to a great portion of the $25 billion global collectible hobby market. In support of TCGplayer’s expansion plans, we are looking for talented individuals who will help us further improve and advance our platform for the collectibles industry.”

Hampson also explains the importance of the addition of Appelbaum to the TCGplayer board of directors.

“Paul brings more than 20 years of experience as an investor and developer of technology companies to TCGplayer, and we are confident he will be a valuable addition to our boardroom as we continue to execute TCGplayer’s plan of building the leading online marketplace for the collectible world,” says Hampson.

“I am delighted to join the TCGplayer board at this exciting moment in the company’s history,” Appelbaum said. “I was drawn to the company because of its inspiring leadership, collaborative culture and innovative technology. I look forward to helping TCGplayer continue to reach its potential as it defines the future of the collectibles industry.”

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com

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